Neil Middleditch

Neil Middleditch

Born	(1957-01-07) 7 January 1957 (age 67) Wimborne, England
Nationality	British (English)
Career history
1973–1975	Eastbourne Eagles
1973	Coatbridge Tigers
1973, 1974	Exeter Falcons
1974	Wolverhampton Wolves
1974	Oxford Rebels
1974–1984	Poole Pirates
1985	Reading Racers
1985–1986	Arena Essex Hammers
Individual honours
1975	British Under-21 Champion
1985	National League Riders Champion
Team honours
1975	New National League KO Cup Winner

Neil Middleditch (born 7 January 1957 in Wimborne, Dorset) is a former motorcycle speedway rider, who rode for England and was the team manager of Great Britain.^[1] He earned seven international caps for the England national speedway team^[2] and was the team manager of the Great Britain national speedway team from 2001 to 2008, a position he resumed from 2011 until 2013.

Riding career

Middleditch grew up around speedway because his father Ken Middleditch was a former rider with the Poole Pirates. Neil Middleditch's riding career spanned from 1973 until 1986, riding for the Eastbourne Eagles,^[3] Poole Pirates, Reading Racers and the Arena Essex Hammers. In 1975 Middleditch became British Under-21 Champion and was third in the 1978 European Under-21 Championship final.

He won the National League Riders' Championship at Brandon Stadium, held on 10 August 1985.^[4]

Management career

Poole Pirates

Middleditch became the Poole Pirates team manager in 1999 and by the end of the 2024 season he had steered the club to a total of 11 league titles, eight of which were in the top flight of British Speedway (2003,2004, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2018) and claimed back-to-back Championship (second tier) titles in 2021 and 2022, regaining it in 2024. 'Middlos' impressive trophy haul has been augmented by silverware successes in the Craven Shield in both 2001 and 2002 and again in 2006, before winning the same competition again in 2012 and 2014, 2015, 2016 when it was renamed the Elite Shield and then in 2017 and 2018 in the rebranded Premiership Shield. He has Knockout cup victories in 2003, 2004, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2021 and 2022 (the first five in British speedway's top flight, the latter two at Championship level) and 2024 and also a British League cup title from 2003 to be proud of. He has steered the Pirates to three successive third competition team trophies, the first in 2022 labelled the Jubilee Cup was never completed against Leicester Lions, and was rebranded the BSN Series in 2023, with the Pirates crowned champions that year, a trophy they successfully defended in '24 to take Middlo's winners trophy count to a 31 in 25 active season's (as the 2020 campaign was cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions)

Great Britain

Middleditch was appointed as team manager of Great Britain team in 2001 after the resignations of joint managers Colin Pratt and Eric Boocock. In 2004, Great Britain lost out on the World Cup by a single point with Middleditch at the helm.^[5] During the BSPA's 2007 annual general meeting, Middleditch announced that he wanted to continue as the Great Britain manager but recommended that 1992 world champion Gary Havelock should be his successor once he has retired from racing.^[6] In February 2008, Middleditch quit his role as the Great Britain manager after seven years in charge to focus on his family business.^[7] He later returned to the role from 2011 until 2013.

References

1. Oakes, P.(2006). Speedway Star Almanac. ISBN 0-9552376-1-0
2. "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
3. Lawson,K (2018) “Riders, Teams and Stadiums”. ISBN 978-0-244-72538-9
4. "Great, Neil". Sunday Mirror. 11 August 1985. Retrieved 21 June 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
5. "Sweden Win World Cup". SpeedwayWorld.Tv. 2004. Archived from the original on 1 September 2005. Retrieved 7 August 2008.
6. "Havvy could be 'next GB boss'". Daily Echo. 22 November 2007. Retrieved 3 December 2007.
7. "GB Boss Middleditch quits". BSPA. 29 February 2008. Retrieved 4 April 2008.